Aim: To conduct an observational study evaluating the efficacy of a partially guided system for implant surgery.
Materials and methods: The study included 48 implant placements in 24 patients. Following virtual implant planning with designated software, a surgical guide was fabricated using a 3D desktop printer. Each surgically placed implant was compared with its planned position in the software. The coronal and apical distance and angular errors of the implants were evaluated. The correlation between the errors and the variables (residual bone height, surgeon, implant placement site, guide support type, implant diameter) was analyzed using multiple regression analysis.
Results: The coronal and apical mean distance errors were 1.28 ± 0.85 and 1.8 ± 0.97 mm, respectively. The mean angular error was 3.66 ± 3.37 degrees. The correlation coefficients (coronal: 0.285; apical: 0.308) indicated a significant linear correlation between the anterior and posterior implant placement positions (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: A partially guided system with in-office guide fabrication using a 3D desktop printer is a useful option for implant placement.